Another article about the regionals

Because they want to eventually be making money and the only way to get there is to work a job where you get paid like crap for way too long. It's just a matter of degrees. If they pay even just a little more reasonable it would make a huge difference. The very lowest salary for a brand new FO should still be something that you could live off. We love to fly and we'll do anything to chase the dream, and sometimes we don't realize what we're getting ourselves into. That's what happened to me, two years into a regional that said I'd have a one year upgrade and still an FO and technically qualifying for foodstamps, I said "f- this, I'm out". It was a hard decision but the best one ever for me.

Only problem I see is that many people seem to think that the airlines is the only way to upgrade in the aviation world, and the only career path. There are tons of interesting flying jobs/careers out there that do pay pretty well. I agree that regional pilots should make a reasonable wage, but for now they're stuck with the crap sandwich they have. My point is, there are options. People don't have to live a poverty lifestyle pursuing what they believe to be their only option to success in aviation.

Now if they've done their homework and the airline route is what they want to do, then that opens the door to saying "don't complain too much, you knew the rules of the game before you decided to play. Just work on improving it."
 
Only problem I see is that many people seem to think that the airlines is the only way to upgrade in the aviation world, and the only career path. There are tons of interesting flying jobs/careers out there that do pay pretty well. I agree that regional pilots should make a reasonable wage, but for now they're stuck with the crap sandwich they have. My point is, there are options. People don't have to live a poverty lifestyle pursuing what they believe to be their only option to success in aviation.

Now if they've done their homework and the airline route is what they want to do, then that opens the door to saying "don't complain too much, you knew the rules of the game before you decided to play. Just work on improving it."

That's right. The reason why I had three jobs at the time. BACKUPS! Before furloughed, I was an FO at ASA, same time I am in the Navy Reserves, and my third job is my Broker company that I manage.

I know how to get around the system and I'm glad I got my CFI, because that is my other backup. Cannot depend on one source of income these days. You'll get tricked into thinking that people care about you.
 
Yes, it is. It used to make sense back in the days when you could pay your dues, and plan on working for the same company for 20, 25, 30 years and retire with a golden watch and a pension. Then it made sense. You put up with a few years of crap, and then they'd make it up to you.

Now? They'll rightsize, downsize, make you redundant or whatever they want to call it at the drop of a hat. Pension? Ha, you'll be lucky to get a 401k match. Golden watch? Try a pot luck party.

With that kind of environment, I say do this. Get as much as you can out of an employer as quickly as you can. You don't know how long you'll have before they shove you out the door.

QFT, especially the potluck comment.:laff:
 
Conversation?

I know there is a lot of freight pilots out there that fly by themselves who are perfectly capable of doing it solo. But let's say a person gets in an emergency. Wouldn't a pilot flying solo feel much better having another pilot there to help him/her?

What if you had to go to the toilet? One pilot without autopilot would feel very anxious to go, and would have problems doing it.

Now let's look into the reasons why insurance companies require two pilots (not one) in the cockpit:

#1 Safety: If your mother were sitting in the back of an airplane riding as a passenger wouldn't you feel that her safety was important? If it wasn't then why not have computers fly the airplanes.

#2 Redundancy: Two minds are better than one. Every pilot has an idea to fix a situation whether it is right or wrong. Crew Resource Management

#3 Fatigue: If one pilot is tired and sleepy, the other pilot can take over the controls (Haven't we all felt that way).

#4 Workload: Flying IMC with icing is not an easy thing to do. You have charts to go through and calculations to be made. If you have the other person there to help you, your workload will be easier, and vice versa.

So therefore there are more reasons why more than one pilot is needed. This is just off the top of my head.
 
Which brings me to my original point:



I don't feel any sympathy for someone that knew the working conditions, knew the pay, and are still complaining.

Both should be much better. I hope those two will improve throughout the aviation industry in the future.
 
I thought there were 2 pilots in commuter aircraft because we don't have any skills.

1/2 pilot + 1/2 pilot = 1 fully functioning pilot up front.

It's just math, you can argue that!
 
Yes, it is. It used to make sense back in the days when you could pay your dues, and plan on working for the same company for 20, 25, 30 years and retire with a golden watch and a pension. Then it made sense. You put up with a few years of crap, and then they'd make it up to you.

Now? They'll rightsize, downsize, make you redundant or whatever they want to call it at the drop of a hat. Pension? Ha, you'll be lucky to get a 401k match. Golden watch? Try a pot luck party.

With that kind of environment, I say do this. Get as much as you can out of an employer as quickly as you can. You don't know how long you'll have before they shove you out the door.

As long as you have a job working FOR someone else, you do not have that Golden Ticket. Ask the Circuit City peeps. Instead of hoping someone else is going to give you a golden watch and pension out of the goodness of their heart(which I have never heard in business or economics 101) why not control your own destiny by working for yourself?
 
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